In These Arms
by Lantean12
Summary: MacRae Williams is young and experienced, physically that is. However, his experiences in Raccoon City have left quite an impression upon him and with all of the incidents to come, he relies on one man to be his pillar of strength. Chris is finally acknowledging his feelings for the younger agent, and he has since made a vow to protect him. OC/Chris SLASH! Rating may increase. AU!
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1: Terragrigia

Disclaimer: I own nothing except my OC.

**Changed my plot as I felt like it was moving a little bit too slowly so here is the newer story. I hope you enjoy this. Rate and Review :)**

The small building which functioned as the headquarters for the BSAA was buzzing with activity as news of the recent incident hit them. Clive R O'Brian walked towards a desk surrounded by three agents, members of the Original Eleven along with him.

"MacRae, Jill, Chris, fall in" he said and the came towards him.

"Sir" they said in unison.

"We're been deployed to Terragrigia as advisers to the FBC. Basic weaponry only" the Director said and they all nodded.

"I really think they should let us help out" the British agent said and the others nodded.

"We're allowed to defend ourselves, just not actively take part in the fighting" Jill explained.

"Yeah, which is pretty pointless considering that the three of us have more experience that any other person when it comes to getting rid of these bastards. When are we going to be making more of a difference?" Chris asked as they walked to the armoury.

"I don't know. However we can still help in some way" Jill reasoned, keeping them calm.

"Well, at least we can help out in some form" MacRae said, opening the door.

The three of them picked up a thigh holster and a utility belt each, as well as a hip pouch with room for at least five magazines. They grabbed the BSAA standard side arm before going to the changing rooms.

"We're so not equipped for this at the moment" MacRae realised, looking at his uniform.

"It'll take time before we can get decent stuff" Jill said from her cubical.

MacRae dressed in a grey hooded t-shirt with the BSAA logo on the right sleeve, a pair of combat trousers and walking trainers and he put on a simple tactical vest. He slipped on his gloves and then his weaponry and belt before leaving the rooms.

"All available agents, please proceed to the heliport for immediate dispatch" O'Brian said over the comms.

(Heliport)

They got up to the roof where three helicopters were preparing to take off and the three were quite surprised to see O'Brian waiting in one of them. They climbed into the same chopper and took their seats whilst the door was closed.

"You're coming with us, sir?" MacRae asked.

"Part of the conditions for our involvement in the incident is that we work with the FBC. General Lansdale stated that he needed to work with me to coordinate our efforts" he explained.

"I thought we couldn't help all that much?" Chris asked with a raised brow.

"You'll be helping with evacuation duties on the roof. Civilians are been sent there" he explained.

The helicopters lifted off and headed away from the United Kingdom, where their headquarters were located for the time being. The Director pulled up a schematic of the city, which was flashing red in several areas.

"This is the city" he began. "The red areas are the worst effected sections of the city. The FBC HQ has already been breached although the Command Room where we'll be meeting with several other members of the FBC and General Lansdale is relatively safe. You will then proceed to the roof with caution so you can begin evacuation of civilians as they arrive" the Director explained and they nodded.

"What are our other duties?" the Brit asked.

"Treatment of non-infected. Here" he said, holding out three ear-pieces.

"I'm guessing these are tied into FBC channels for use later?" Jill asked.

"No. They're tied into my own frequency. You are three of my most trusted agents. I want constant status updates from you at all times" he said and the others smiled at him and nodded. "Get some rest, we have a long battle ahead of us" he said and the Brit did just that, green eyes slipping closed.

(Terragrigia)

MacRae was gently awoken by Chris who merely grinned at him, before sliding the door open and peeking outside. His silence spoke volumes and a small smell of smoke hit him, piquing his interest and he got up, standing behind the larger man, a hand on his shoulder.

"Oh my God" he said in shock.

"We're in for a long few days" Jill said behind him.

Smoke rose from the aquapolis as many fires raged out of control. Helicopters were surveying the airspace around the city and the road which linked the mainland to Terragrigia was totally locked down by FBC operatives.

"Those poor people" the Brit whispered silently.

"Okay you three, be ready for drop off" the Director said and they retook their seats.

They landed on the rooftop of the FBC headquarters which was lit up in the night, an orange glow still cast over them from the fires. An older man in a suit approached them and he went straight to the O'Brian.

"We've managed to push the Hunters out for the time being" he explained.

"Where do we need to go?" he asked, getting right to the point.

"The Command Room is located on the ground floor of the building. Don't forget, your agents will be coming with you for the briefing" he said, and then turned to them. "General Lansdale, Director or Commissioner of the FBC" he introduced, holding his hand out to shake.

"Agent Jill Valentine" was the simple introduction.

"Chris Redfield"

"MacRae Williams"

"Shall we?" the other asked, voice barely audible over the combined sounds of helicopter propellers and sirens as well as the ever-present sound of gunfire.

(Command Room)

"All FBC agents are to be dispatched to the worst affected areas to engage the B.O.W's and send any surviving civilians to designated evacuation areas. BSAA agents will be assisting in treating the wounded and evacuations. Direct all questions on the B.O.W's to Miss Valentine, Mr. Redfield and Mr. Williams" he said, gesturing to the three who nodded. "You have your duties, go" he said simply and they dispersed.

"You three. A temporary medical station has been set up on the roof" O'Brian explained.

"Yes sir" MacRae spoke for the three of them.

"Go, and good luck" the Director said.

(Back on the Roof, Medical Tent)

"What have we got?" MacRae asked as an injured FBC operative was brought in, supported by his two colleagues and he was close to losing consciousness.

"Massive laceration to his abdomen as well as a stab wound from a claw" Jill explained.

"Chance of infection?" he asked, bringing him onto a medical bed.

"No fluid transmission, from what we can tell" Chris said, laying him down gently. "It's a right shit storm out there" he added and the other nodded. "We noticed shattered glass on the way up, what happened?" he asked.

"I was bringing up a civilian and one of them broke through. Took a lot of bullets to put it down" the Brit said with a grimace. They remained quiet as he began to treat him, the others doing their best to keep the injured man awake.

"What's his prognosis?" another operative asked.

"We need to get him out of here. I want him on the next medevac out of here" he said seriously.

"There's a space on the helicopter that's getting ready to go" the operative said and he gave a nod, the operative wheeling him out of the tent. Three more wounded, each one still conscious but still badly wounded.

"We're gonna need more medics in here" the Brit said, tapping his headset. "Director" he said.

"MacRae, what's happening?"

"We've got more and more wounded coming in and there aren't enough medics up here to take care of them all. Advise" the Brit replied.

"See what the severity of their wounds are. Treat the most severe and evac the rest to the mainland, I'll see what I can do about getting you more assistance but don't hold your breath" the other said and the Brit sighed.

"Let's get to work" he said.

(Two weeks)

He was running on fumes at this point. He, Chris and Jill worked through many nights with only two hours of sleep to get wounded civilians and personnel out of the city. However, the ominous lack of survivors, both civilian and FBC personnel was starting to worry him.

"Agent MacRae, this is General Lansdale" his radio chirped, shocking him awake.

"How can I help you sir?" the Brit asked, trying to keep the tiredness out of his voice.

"Director O'Brian is currently busy now so I'll relay this order. You, along with Agents Redfield and Valentine are to be shipped out" Lansdale said and the others brows shot up.

"Sir?" he asked wearily.

"You have your orders MacRae" the General said and the communications cut abruptly.

"What was that all about?" Jill asked.

"We're been shipped out. O'Brian has ordered the first group of BSAA agents to leave Terragrigia right now. Guys, we're about to abandon the city" he said and the two looked momentarily shocked before angry.

"What?! There are still people out there" Chris said but MacRae's despairing look told him all he needed to know. "It's a final order?" he asked.

"General Lansdale himself seems to back it up. We're on the first chopper off this roof where we'll be transported to a small town on the mainland" he explained, holstering his now emptied weapon which he used to kill a few Hunters.

"And you're just gonna agree to this?" Chris asked.

"What choice do we have? We're don't have the equipment to help" Jill reasoned.

"We lack good weapons and we're dealing with a new virus. We can't fight" MacRae said before softening his look. "I want to stay as much as you do. We can't abandon this place just yet, I get that but at the end of the day, orders are orders" the Brit said, heading to the heliport.

"Come on Chris" Jill said quietly, putting a hand on his shoulder and following him.

"General Lansdale, this is Agent MacRae. Myself and Agents Redfield and Valentine are evacuating from the city" MacRae said after tapping his headset.

"Acknowledged, Agent MacRae. Thank you for helping" the older said.

(One Week Later)

They had a clear view of the city on the beach, watching all of a sudden as intense light suddenly encompassed the city. They had heard that the Regia Solis was going to be put into effect and they watched the devastating effects of this contingency.

"Never had I saw light as so evil" MacRae said softly.

"This is so wrong" Chris added to his sentiment.

They watched as one of the taller structures began to collapse before crashing into another one of them and dragging it down with it. Explosions could be seen erupting across the solar panels that were along the outside the city, and the highway had partially collapsed as well.

"And just like Raccoon City, Terragrigia is no more" Jill said and MacRae got up and walked away.

The other two agents watched as the central tower of the city began to collapse as steam rose from the entire area around the city. They then followed the Brit back to one of the small hotels that they were staying in, finding MacRae with his head buried in his hands sat on the bed. Chris whispered in Jill's ear.

"I'll talk to him" he said and she raised a brow.

"No offence Chris, but you're not the type for heart to hearts" she said seriously.

"We've both known him since Raccoon. For him I know how to heart to heart" he said and she gave him a small smile.

He walked over, very aware of the shocked cries from everyone nearby, the walls were thin and he knew that quite literally. He sat next to him then and MacRae regarded him with a weak smile and the larger man felt his heart clench.

"You're going to comfort me? Chris, you have the emotional capacity of a tea spoon" he said, tears in his voice.

"For others, maybe. But I've known you for years, Mac" he said, hand on his shoulder.

"Chris, I appreciate this, but nothing can comfort me after witnessing the destruction of another city because of Umbrella's viral legacy" he said and soon the hand shifted to his other shoulder, putting him in a one-armed hug.

"A lot of people lost there lives to that legacy" Chris agreed.

"Yeah, and we're powerless to do anything. The three of us, survivors of Raccoon" he said, bitter.

"We did everything we could, given our limited equipment and movement" Chris comforted.

"We should've done more" he said, almost as bitter as an old man. Chris could hear barely audible sobs coming from the younger man, making it clear that this war was still having a massive effect on him. He wrapped his other arm around him and buried the Brits head in his chest.

"Next time, we will" Chris said softly. "MacRae?" he called and the other looked up at him.

"Yeah, Chris?" was the reply.

"What you did these past two was good, brilliant even. You saved a lot of people, both civilians and many of the injured personnel. You even got in a few good kills, just remember all of the good things that you did to help those people" he advised and he felt the other nod against his chest. He held him a little tighter, and within five minutes, he could hear that MacRae's breathing had softened just as Jill walked into the room.

"It would seem I was wrong" she said quietly and with a smile.

"This one's hit him just as hard as Raccoon City" Chris said with a frown.

"It's hit a lot of us Chris. Us in particular because we couldn't do as much as the FBC not to mention we're no stranger to this sort of thing. It doesn't get easier" Jill said, heading towards the other bed, a single. "You two share for the night, he'll need the comfort" she said softly, casting a warm smile at the younger agent.

"Good night, Jill" he said with a small smile.

"Good night, Chris" she replied, flicking the lamp off.

He gently woke the Brit who looked with at him with tired green eyes and cast him a sheepish smile with a pink tint dusting his cheeks. He merely smiled in return and shifted to the other side of the bed, the Brit climbing in behind him.

"Sorry for falling asleep on you" he apologised sheepishly.

"It's no worries" Chris said with the faintest amount of amusement.

The two of them had shed their trousers, sleeping in their shirts and boxers, with Chris pulling up the quilts to chest level. He then opened his arms, earning a questioning look from him.

"Come here" he said and the other merely smiled, before entering his embrace.

"Where's all this coming from" he asked, head laying on his chest.

"This whole incident hit us all pretty hard MacRae. We all felt useless. We need each other to tell us that we are not useless, to tell us that we are capable and to keep us calm" he said and MacRae gave a soft chuckle. "What?"

"Who are you and what have you done with the emotionally awkward Chris Redfield?"

"Why do you all think I suck at emotions?" Chris asked in exasperation.

"We're men, Chris. Emotions have never been our forte and that's how we're generally stereotyped. I, however, know you're good at knowing what to say" he said warmly, before snuggling in even more. "Oh, and you're a brilliant hugger" he added, earning a chuckle.

"Thanks. You know you can talk to us if you need to right?" he asked and he nodded.

"You and Jill are my survival buddies for Christ sake" he said with amusement.

"Well I should hope so" Jill piped up from her bed and the other merely made a face at her. "Let's get some sleep guys, O'Brian is debriefing us three tomorrow" she said and the others agreed, soon falling asleep.

_(Dream)_

_The footsteps were getting louder as scaled feet ran towards him, their vicious snarls not that far behind him. He ran up the stairs towards the elevator which would soon take him to safety, though he turned ready to fire only to find that his gun clicked on empty._

"_Oh please no" he whispered, picking up the pace._

"_You failed us" a disembodied voice of a random person said._

"_I tried to save you" he protested through heavy breaths._

"_And yet most of us are dead. Because of the very monsters that chase you" the voice replied, then joined by a more commanding one, no doubt one of the FBC operatives._

"_Why didn't you fight?" it asked in malice._

"_You think I can with a pistol?" he asked in exasperation. He then realised that the stairs seemed to be endless and more footsteps had joined the other two and were getting louder as they caught up to him. "What do you want from me?" he asked in desperation._

"_For you to know the pain that we felt" the FBC member said._

_The creature finally caught up to him, swiping at his leg and cutting through the material of his clothes and breaking the skin in a jagged wound. With a yelp, he fell up the stairs, slowly crawling as the Hunters continued to approach him, claws raised._

"_Please, don't do this" he pleaded, hoping that the Hunters would register something._

"_Know the pain" the two voices said in unison._

_The creatures were right by him then, and he was looking into the dead yellow eyes of the reptilian creatures that he remembered haunting Raccoon City. They lowered their claws and he sighed only to scream as one dropped to his knees and started to feed..._

_(Reality)_

He shot up out of bed, his chest heaving as a cold sweat cascaded down his features. He felt a small phantom pain where the Hunter was supposed to have attacked him and he buried his head in his hands.

"MacRae?" Chris called sleepily.

"I'm sorry. I woke you" he said, voice muffled. When he shot up, he likely jolted Chris a little and he knew that instead of the heavy sleeper who took naps at his desk in the Police Department, he was now a light sleeper due to the monsters that kept him on his toes.

"Bad dream?" he asked and the other nodded.

"Understatement" the Brit replied and soon Chris reached up and pulled him back down.

"Remember this, Mac. We're safe now. The ones we saved are safe now and there is nothing that can get you here, not whilst me and Jill are around" he said, placing his head beneath his chin and tightening his hold on him.

"Thanks Chris" the other said warmly. He suppressed a blush when he felt lips press a gentle kiss to his forehead.

"It's no problem" he repeated. "Now sleep, we're going to need it" Chris said.

It was just like that time when the three had moved in together following the Raccoon City Incident and the whole collapse of Umbrella. MacRae was still relatively young and Raccoon City had quite the effect on him. It was customary to hear the Brit waking up, a scream waking them up from their own nightmare filled sleeps, though they were better at dealing with them. They'd alternate between calming him, each having their own techniques to do so. Jill would hold him in her arms and sing softly to him to calm him down whereas Chris would just hold him protectively. It helped keep the nightmares away for both, but it seemed that fresh ones spring up from time to time.

(Temporary Briefing Room)

"I wanted you three shipped out under the pretence of been at that town to receive the evacuees from the city of Terragrigia. That and I needed people to make the report on the actions that we did if some of us had perished. We were lucky" O'Brian said. "How are you?" he asked, noting how tired they looked.

"We were up for days with only a few hours in between. Other than that, we're fine" MacRae spoke for them.

"Time well spent. You made a massive difference that might not have been made" O'Brian said.

"Nothing compared to what we might have made had we remained" MacRae noted bitterly.

"We didn't want to risk losing you guys. The FBC are going to cordon off the whole coastline that surrounds the city, meaning this town will be evacuated. Just in case the virus has managed to make it this far, even in a small amount" he reported and they nodded.

"Any casualties?" Chris asked.

"None. We were confined to the upper levels so escaping was easy" O'Brian said. "The only thing that needs to be included in your reports are the survivor statistics both civilian and FBC as well as personal accounts of injuries witnessed" the Director said.

"You got it, sir" Jill said and then he looked at all three of them, concerned.

"I recommend getting some sleep on the chopper. I'm also giving you a days leave to rest up" he said, tone almost fatherly.

"Thank you, sir" they said in unison.

The three of them downed a cup of coffee and ate a light breakfast before heading to their shared room to collect their weapons as well as clear up after themselves. They looked out of the window and at the ruins of Terragrigia.

"Atlantis does exist. In the form of Terragrigia. The Lost City" MacRae said.

"Destroyed by a cataclysm" Jill agreed.

"And lost to the ocean" Chris finished. They finished tidying the room up, leaving a small tip for the staff to take before the inevitable evacuation. The sound of choppers flying overhead was an ominous sign that there was nothing left to do now, and with a sigh they left the room.

(Back in the UK)

A whole block of apartments was cleared around the BSAA Headquarters to allow for agents and all technical and support staff to be within walking distance. The chopper landed on the room and all of the agents walked back in, tired and ready to head home for the day and sleep. The news was on the main screen and they stopped for a moment to watch.

"_The FBC conducted final search and rescue operations early this morning around the site of Terragrigia, the search turning up no additional survivors. If you are just joining us, a massive attack took place in the floating city of Terragrigia, caused by the bioterrorist group Il Veltro, a radical group opposing the city's development. Following a three week campaign to regain control of the city, the FBC and BSAA pulled out of the city and the city's solar matrix, the Regia Solis was turned on itself, totally incinerating the city which has collapsed" _the reporter explained.

"Let's go" Chris said, and they headed out of the headquarters.

Their apartment was literally next to the headquarters and they walked in with a sigh. MacRae went straight to his room, Jill and Chris watching him with concerned expressions.

"I'll see you guys in the morning" he called down.

"Good night" the two replied in unison.

He shed his clothes, changing into a pair of grey, thin, loose fitting trousers and he went into the small bathroom which was joined to his room. He looked in the mirror and took in his appearance.

His usually bright green eyes were tired and he could've sworn they looked old, and his defined features looked just as tired as he felt. The outside of his eyes were black and one could swear his facial hair had decided to have a growth spurt.

"Bloody hell" he muttered to himself, running a hand along the scar that spanned along his shoulder and down his upper arm, a wound he wanted to forget.

He left the bathroom and climbed into his double bed, burying his head in the pillows and pulling the quilt up and over his shoulders, hoping for a better nights sleep. He could faintly hear the soft footsteps of his two friends pass by, though they faded quickly as the embrace of sleep claimed him.

Chris opened the door quietly, peeking into the British man's room and he spotted his head poking out of the quilts. His eyes were closed, his breathing quiet and overall his face looked relatively peaceful, given the circumstances. However, he could put money down and win if he made the bet that the Brit would be awake that night and unable to get back to sleep.

(Later That Night)

MacRae shot up with a gasp, hand clutching at his chest as though he had been wounded in that exact spot. His chest was heaving and sweat cascaded down his torso as he regained control of his breathing, and he stood, walking out of his room quietly. His feet padded along the soft carpet, and he remained unaware of a neighbouring door opening. The Brit walked into the kitchen and he put the kettle on, making himself a cup of tea, retreating into the living room and flicking a lamp on, staring out at the city.

"MacRae?" a tired, male voice said and the Brit turned to regard Chris.

"I didn't hear you coming down the stairs. You're getting good at stealth" MacRae said with a false grin. "I'm sorry if I disturbed you" he said softly, noticing his darkened eyes.

"You should be sleeping" Chris said, ignoring his apology.

"I know" was the soft reply, so soft it was barely audible.

"Terragrigia?" Chris asked knowingly.

"You would think that I would at least be more used to things like this, what with having survived something a lot worse. I suppose part of me will never get over Raccoon City, over everything that I... we've been through" he said, bringing his legs up.

"You can never get used to it" Chris said, coming over to sit next to him.

"Could've fooled me. You and Jill are better at it" MacRae said and Chris shook his head.

"In truth, we aren't. When we were in that mansion we were going on basic instincts, and that was to survive. The reality of the situation hit us when we got home" Chris said and the Brit remembered.

_(Flashback)_

_The sun was high in Raccoon City as the S.T.A.R.S chopper returned to the police station. MacRae waited with Irons as the chopper landed and the doors swung open. Rebecca came out first, her face streaked with tears, dirt and blood and Barry, who had dirt and blood over him as well. His arm was wrapped around Rebecca's in comfort._

"_What happened?" he asked in concern._

"_Trust me Mac, you're much happier not knowing" the larger man said._

_The Brit approached the helicopter and he looked inside, finding only two more inside as well as Brad who got out, jibbering as he did. He saw Chris in one corner, his face white and Jill, who was crying quietly. _

_(End of Flashback)_

"The truth is Mac, we never get used to it. We save our sadness, our grief, our fear, until we reach our sanctuary. We never leave a mission feeling happy, quite the opposite" he said and MacRae took everything in.

"I always thought you two were so composed" the Brit said, putting the mug on the windowsill.

"You're young Mac. Compared to you we are" Chris said. "So what was the dream about?"

"I was back in Raccoon with Jill, headed for my home before going to the Police Station. My family had said they'd meet me there and we'd seek shelter and await rescue. I get home, my family..." he's close to losing it already and Chris reaches over and pulls him into a hug.

"Forget I asked, I'm sorry" Chris said, pulling the throw that was on the back of the sofa over the two of them. "Shh, now" he soothed.

"You're never like this with anyone" MacRae pointed out and Chris chuckled, a rumble going through his chest and MacRae sighed.

"I guess I have a soft spot for you" he said, large hands gently stroking his hair.

"Yeah, well it's nice" MacRae said, snuggling closer.

"I get a cuddle buddy, so it benefits me" Chris said with a grin and MacRae looked up with a warm smile. "Get some rest MacRae" he said.

He didn't blush this time when a pair of slightly chapped lips pressed a kiss to his forehead, instead he felt all warm and tingly. If Chris was like this when it came to emotions these days, then he was glad he had a chance to see this softer, gentle side of him. The man can hold a gun and kill loads of monsters, looking quite intimidating with his stature and musculature. However, the arms that will likely crush someone if given enough force became his protective blanket and he was glad that he could bring that out of Chris. With a small smile, he pressed a small kiss to the man's chest and the hold seemed to tighten around him. In these arms, he felt safe. In these arms, he felt like nothing could get at him.

**Okay, so obviously my pairings have changed. I thought I'd see if I could analyse a persons mind after a particularly devastating event in a persons life. Rate and Review :)**


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Conspiracy Part 1

Disclaimer: I own nothing except my OC.

**Rate and Review :) Basically this moves on to a year after Terragrigia and a little note I forgot to mention, this follows through the later games of the series, from Revelations all the way to six so I guess you could say there are multiple plots.**

(European Mountains, 6:42 P.M)

The cold weather was merciless as Chris, MacRae and Jessica continued towards their objective that was located somewhere within the mountains. Jessica was starting to lag behind a little, tiredness had begun to set in for the young woman, yet the two males continued onward.

"Slow down, guys" she said and the Brit stopped and turned to her, a smile on his face.

"We're almost there, Jessica" Chris reassures.

"I certainly hope so. My feet are killing me" she complained and MacRae gave a small chuckle.

"You're not the only one, Jess" he said and she gave him a small smile. The two continued to follow the larger man for a moment before he spoke again.

"Our source indicates the camp is on the far side of this peak" he said, pocketing his GPS.

Only the howling wind could be heard as they trudged on through the snow, barely concealing their shivers. MacRae wondered what was he thinking in wearing the short-sleeved coat like Chris did, his arms were freezing for sure.

"Maybe it's the weather, but I can't make contact with HQ. Who would have thought we'd be stuck here this long?" Jessica asked, breaking the silence.

"My radio's down too. I can only receive communications from you two" MacRae explained.

"MacRae, can you scout ahead" Chris asked.

MacRae jogged ahead of them, trained sight seeing through the blizzard. He had become the scout and medic of their agent cell, a position he took readily, switching his usual rifle for a KRISS Vector and Jessica took his place as a sniper.

"How's it up there?" Jessica asked, barely picking out his silhouette.

"All clear guys. No contacts, human or otherwise" he said over the radio and they jogged to catch him.

"I pray to God this trip hasn't been a total waste" Jessica said and the Brit replicated the sentiment.

They continued to walk, the storm seeming to clear a little bit as they reached a sort of clearing with a few pine trees. A roaring could be heard overhead as a plane flew overhead, it's engines in flames and going down.

"The plane!" Jessica exclaimed. Suddenly the plane erupted into a ball of flames, a loud bang reaching them. "My God. It crashed" she said and they hurried towards the site. "There shouldn't be any shipping routes in this area" the sniper said, voice suspicious.

"Then the intel we got on Veltro was on the money. Come on" Chris said and they reached the site.

"Jesus... no one could have lived through that" Jessica said, looking down at the burning wreckage.

"Investigate the site. Let me know if you find anything" Chris ordered.

The three of them hopped down, Jessica going one way, Chris heading another and MacRae heading over to what looked like cages that had been torn open. He looked closely to see some blood at the bottom and he pulled the Genesis out to scan it.

"I've found some faint traces of a virus here" Chris said over the radio.

"Me as well. Whatever broke out of the cages was likely responsible for their deaths" MacRae said.

"Guys, do you think we could be dealing with Veltro again?" Jessica asked, her voice concerned.

"Hard to say. I find it difficult to believe the survived Terragrigia though" Chris said and whilst the Brit wanted to believe that, Veltro was the only terrorist group they knew in Europe and the only one they encountered during their time in the BSAA. "Regroup near the cockpit" Chris ordered and he did so, looking at the door. "Is the manifest in here?" he asked the Brit.

"Wouldn't surprise me" was the simple answer. Chris opened the door, a corpse falling out making the Brit jump and Jessica yelp in surprise. "Check his person, he may have the manifest" MacRae said and Jessica found it.

"The manifest should give us a lead to work with" Chris said.

"Let's see... they were heading for... Valkoinen Mokki Airport" Jessica said, reading it and Chris then walked out of the plane and towards a gate.

"If that's where they are, this mine should take us there" the large man said and the others looked at one another with an ounce of fear and dread. If something killed that crew, it would've likely escaped into a cave. "Guys, I need a hand" Chris called okay.

"Hold on" Jessica said.

They slipped their hands under the gate and began to lift, stepping through and letting go of it, sealing themselves in. They then began to walk slowly through the cave, weapons poised if ever they needed to use them.

"This cave is too cold" Jessica complained, shivering as well.

"You should've worn your thermal underwear" Chris quipped and MacRae chuckled.

"What I wouldn't give for a mug of-" he was cut off as a roar sounded through the cave.

"Did you hear that?" Jessica asked and the other two nodded. They continued their walk, even slower than before since hearing that noise and MacRae spotted something, stopping them from walking and making a 'be quiet' gesture before pointing.

"I think they're infected. Be careful, guys" he cautioned.

A small step was enough to attract the wolf-like B.O.W's and with vicious snarls they tore towards the three agents who immediately fired on them. Though resilient at first, they soon fell as rifle, shotgun and machine-gun bullets hit them.

"See? This is why I like chihuahuas" Jessica said.

"I don't get how you can like a rat dog over a big cuddly Saint Bernard" MacRae said.

"You just saw what happened? And the slobber, ew gross" Jessica said, earning an amused chuckle as well as a raised brow from MacRae. The winding paths became a common sight very quickly and soon a group of those B.O.W's showed up, one pouncing on MacRae and knocking him down.

"MacRae!" his partners called.

Holding the snarling creature by it's throat with one hand was no easy task as he pulled out his survival knife and plunged it deep into the creatures neck, who yelped and died. He shrugged off the body and stood, taking another down with his pistol, before picking up his dropped machine-gun.

"Are you alright?" Chris asked, sounding professional, but his eyes gave away his worry.

"I'm fine. Mangy mutts" he said before swabbing his knife.

"What are you doing?" Jessica asked.

"The virology department could use a swab of this. See what's in this virus" he said, placing it in bag and storing it in a separate pouch on his belt. "So, shall we?" he said, choosing to bring up the rear as Chris forged on.

"Was the plane transporting those things?" Jessica asked.

"Looks that way doesn't it?" Chris asked.

"The Veltro is back from the dead..." Jessica realised.

"Yeah and we have to stop them before anyone gets hurt" Chris said. Jessica then fell into step with the Brit who regarded her with a small smile but remained focused on the path ahead. She returned the smile, but also remained vigilant.

"You've known Chris a long time" she started.

"Yeah" the other replied simply.

"What's he like?" she asked and he raised a brow. "It's just curiosity and it'll give me a chance to get to know my partner better and a chance for us to talk" she said and he smiled, giving her the benefit of the doubt.

"What exactly do you want to know?" he asked.

"Is he emotionally dense?" she asked and he couldn't help but chuckle.

"He seems that way to you doesn't he?" MacRae asked and she gave a simple nod. "I suppose in some aspects he is, particularly on missions" he began and she raised a brow.

"And when off duty?" she asked.

"Once you get passed him and open yourself up, he will open up in return. He may not seem like it, but he can be quite deep, for lack of a better word" he said, remembering the night on the sofa a year ago, heating his cold cheeks a little. "Anything else?" he asked.

"Is he available?" she asked and he coughed taking in a sigh. "Are you okay?" she asked.

"Yeah, thermal underwear isn't been effective" he covered smoothly.

"So is he available?" she asked.

"In all honesty Jessica, I can't tell you. Ever since the Mansion Incident, people have difficulty getting close with him. Only me, Jill and his sister Claire can get him to lower his boundaries to the point of near vulnerability" he said and Chris piped up.

"I didn't become an agent by been deaf. I'll have you know I am not emotionally dense" he called back to them and MacRae blushed a little. "As for my availability, it's for me to know and for you to find out on your own time" Chris called back with a hint of amusement in his voice. The soon happened upon another group of the B.O.W's.

"Argh, how many were they transporting?" MacRae asked.

"Just kill them" Chris ordered calmly.

One of them, black in colour howled and more seemed to come at his call. If MacRae was guessing, it operated on it's basic pack behaviour, one leader summoning the lesser to overwhelm their prey. This virus has not taken anything away other than regular appearance, merely enhanced their instincts.

"Get that black one" MacRae said, shifting his fire to cover Chris with Jessica.

"Got it" the larger man said.

The black one, as though sensing their intentions, stopped howling and made a beeline for MacRae and lunged at him. He sidestepped a moment too late and the sleeve on his shirt was ripped open, a gash extending the already large scar and bleeding heavily.

"You cheeky bugger. You want to play?" he asked the creature and it ran back at him.

He drew his side arm and aimed with one hand, firing a single shot which hit right in between the eyes, downing the creature permanently. The other two finished mopping up and then looked at him, worry in their eyes.

"I'm not infected. Their claws are actually clean" he said, pulling out a bandage and some first-aid spray. "Chris, help me with this" he said and the other nodded.

"What happened?" Jessica asked and he raised a brow. "Your scar" she replied and he hesitated. "It's fine if you don't wanna say" she reassured.

"We're partners, if we're to trust one another we tell each other everything" the Brit said, hissing as the cold antiseptic spray made contact with throbbing flesh. "Easy does it with the spray, it's the only can we have" he said and Chris stopped.

"Sorry" he apologised when he hissed again.

"It was back in 1998..." he began.

(Flashback)

"Raccoon City was slowly falling when I made a plan with Jill to escape. However, things started to get a little complicated when my parents called my mobile, asking me to come home. I went with Jill to get them so we could head to the Police Department"

A younger MacRae ran with Jill down ruined streets, gun clutched tightly in his hands whilst Jill dealt with any immediate threats in their way. Smoke was thick in the air and with each former civilian they encountered, his sorrow for the city continued to grow. He knew it was only a matter of time before the city was totally overrun.

"We reached the suburbs relatively easy, despite the wreckage and barricades set up by the R.P.D and when we found the suburb we saw only a police blockade. Copper became the most disgusting smell to be when we got there"

The two approached the blockade, relieved smiles, however, falling from their faces when a heavy smell of copper reached their noses. The found many police officers, totally mangled, surrounded by their own blood and bullet cases. A mighty battle to hold this place had taken place and the infected had lucked out on this one.

"Will they rise?" a young MacRae asked.

"Their bodies are too damaged. They're staying dead" Jill said grimly.

"Despite the fact that salvaging from the dead was a little bit iffy with us, we did it to survive, not that much turned up for us to use. We headed to my home, which looked intact, if not for the door having caved in"

"Oh God no" teen MacRae said, running into the house.

"MacRae!" Jill called and ran after him, finding MacRae stood in the living room, his form blocking something from her view, which she saw upon entering. "Oh, MacRae. I'm so sorry" she said. It was his mother.

"My mother was a beautiful woman. I get my raven hair from her. She always wore it down and over her shoulder, allowing it to flow gracefully. Her green eyes were open, her mouth open in a scream that no one would ever hear and she was mangled. That beautiful hair was matted with blood"

Jill heard a familiar roar as a green reptilian creature appeared in the doorway and lunged at MacRae, who barely dodged, the claw running across his shoulder and down his upper arm. Jill killed it quickly with a well timed headshot, before tending to him.

"She worried that I was infected, however when she examined the creatures claws, she found them to be totally dry. There was no blood, no other liquid that was infected with that damned virus. The rest of my family were reanimated and subsequently killed in the missile strike"

(End of Flashback)

Jessica looked at the young agent as Chris finished bandaging his arm, pity in her eyes and Chris then whispered in his ear.

"When all this is over, we're having a talk" he said gently and the other nodded.

"What kept you going?" she asked as they started walking again, MacRae slinging his machine-gun over his shoulder, favouring his pistol for the time been.

"Revenge. Umbrella took my life away from me, and I wanted revenge" he said.

"And joining the BSAA?" she asked him.

"To prevent people from having to suffer what I did" the Brit responded. "I despise Umbrella and all those like them. Ever since then, like Chris and Jill as well as many others, I've chosen to devote my whole life to fighting bioterrorism"

"Not all men are emotionally dense" she said and he smiled sadly, looking at Chris.

"No, not all of us. We choose to wait until we're safe to let our emotions out" MacRae said and he felt a hand on his shoulder which he squeezed gently.

They exited the cave and entered a valley, Jessica jumping over a gap first, then MacRae following her, however when Chris jumped, the ledge collapsed, sending him down. The others looked behind them at the ruckus and at his exclamation of 'Oh shit!'

"Chris are you okay?" Jessica called down to him.

"... It's just my leg. I'm not going anywhere for a while" Chris said and they heard a howl.

"Not good" MacRae muttered. "We're on our way!" he called down.

Just then he could see several black wolves and many grey ones. He took up a position on the sloping path down and despite the pistols limited range, he continued to put the ones that got too close to Chris down.

"Damn it! Why now of all times?!" Jessica asked.

"Damn, there's to many of them!" Chris said and MacRae moved from his spot.

"Hang in there, Chris!" Jessica yelled down to him.

One of the black ones had jumped on Chris and he was busy pushing it's muscular neck away from him to stop the creature reaching his throat. MacRae brought out his machine-gun and despite the burning pain in his shoulder, he took aim and fired the gun, the bullet hitting between the eyes, but his arm now in more pain from the recoil of the gun.

"You owe me for that!" he gritted out.

"I'll get your tea for a whole month!" Chris called back up.

The creatures weren't stopping their relentless assault and MacRae found himself burning through his handgun ammo. Sooner or later he would have to use the machine-gun and risk jolting his injured arm even more.

"Damn, ammo's not gonna last" Chris said.

"Aren't there anymore decoys?" Jessica asked him. The large group of B.O.W's was beginning to thin and the both of them were making quick progress to him. "Me and my sweet ass are on the way!" she said and they made it to the bottom.

"Let's clean this up" MacRae said, loading his last handgun magazine.

"Took you long enough" Chris said as the Brit approached him, having killed two more.

"Better late than never" Jessica said, approaching them. "Can you stand?" she asks and Chris stands up with some effort.

"Thanks... I'll be okay" he said and MacRae patted his arm.

"I'll be the one that decides that. And you know how like my tea, right?" MacRae said.

With a sarcastic smile they continued to walk, entering a new cave over the other side of the valley and the cold assaulted them again. Jessica finally spoke to Chris then.

"Sorry to bring this up, but..." she stopped, trying to find the right words.

"Bring what up?" Chris asked.

"Do you trust me as much as Jill?" she asked and Chris didn't answer for a moment.

"There's no need to compare, I trust you both. Besides, trust is based on actions, not words" he said and the Brit resisted the urge to scoff, considering that Chris wanted to talk to him when all of this was over and done with.

"That's so like you, Chris. It's always about the job, isn't it?" she asked yet received no answer.

The three of them lifted another gate, much to the pain of the Brit who's bandages were turning red as his wound had reopened ever so slightly. Chris quickly patched his wound up again and they continued on, reaching the end of the caves.

"Look. Is that the airstrip?" Jessica asked.

"That's there hideout?" Chris asked.

Suddenly they all received a call on their communicators which they tapped and continued to look over the site. Jessica handed MacRae the binoculars and he looked down, spotting something concerning, not that they'd report it yet.

"This is Forkball, do you read?" O'Brian's voice said and the others sighed in relief.

"Chris here, I read you, sir" he said.

"Are you alright? Where are you?" the Director said, concerned.

"The interference killed our signals. We're at Valkoinen Mokki Airport" Chris reported.

"Damn it. It's all a setup" O'Brian said and MacRae walked to stand close behind him, eyes flowing with concern.

"What do you mean?" MacRae asked.

"I sent Jill and Parker to the Mediterranean on faulty intel, and now I've lost contact with them. I haven't heard from them since" O'Brian said and both agents brows raised.

"How? What's going on?" Chris asked.

"Chris you better look at this" Jessica said, having found more to be concerned about.

Chris looked down at the airstrip then handed the binoculars to MacRae, pointing in the direction of the Air Traffic Control tower and he looked down. His brow furrowed as he managed to find what it was that had him concerned, finding the Veltro crest.

"That's impossible!" Chris exclaimed.

"O'Brian, you're not gonna like this. We found the Veltro crest" Jessica said.

"Then stories of their resurrection are true. If that's the case, then-" he let it hang for a split second.

"The setup that got Jill and Parker was-" she let it hang.

"Yeah, I'd almost guarantee it"

"O'Brian, we'll go after Jill and Parker. I trust that's not an issue" MacRae said, having remained quiet throughout the whole exchange.

"Not at all. Make your way to the Mediterranean, and we'll keep you posted" O'Brian said.

"Any idea what's going on?" Jessica asked and the Brit shrugged his shoulders.

"We'll sort it out later. We have to move" Chris said.

They took one look at the airstrip, then began the whole trek back, finding that they had managed to clear out all of the wolf-like B.O.W's. They stopped in the cave for the Brit to have a quick look at his leg.

"How is it?" Jessica asked, covering them.

"Bit of swelling, but he can still move it so it's not broken. We'll sort it out on the way to the Mediterranean" he said with a soft smile.

This was just the tip of the iceberg. They boarded the helicopter, changed into more appropriate gear, with MacRae wearing the uniform he wore when he was in Terragrigia. Jessica changed into a wetsuit, however preferring practicality for this one and with a raised brow towards the men, she kept looking out at the sea.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: Conspiracy Part 2

Disclaimer: I own nothing except my OC.

**The whole video speech from Veltro has passed at this point. Thought I'd skip that part. Anyhoo here is another update, script is totally original at this point and I'm changing the plot ever so slightly :)**

The pilot informed them that when he spotted the ship, he'd let them know, allowing Jessica to rest up and MacRae to finish applying spray to his arm, having had a re-stock. The healing rate of the wound was accelerated using this spray, engineered by Rebecca Chambers, who was one of the medical staff for the BSAA.

"How's it feeling?" Chris asked quietly, looking up from the laptop.

"A little sore. It'll likely scar" the Brit said with a grimace. He looked over at Jessica. "She likes you"

"I like her too" he said and MacRae chuckled.

"Not as in mutual appreciation, as in physical attraction Chris. I know you're not that emotionally dense but you do have your moments" he said with a chuckle and Chris blushed a little bit. "That's why she was asking about Jill" he said quietly.

"You really think she likes me?" he asked and the other nodded.

"It seems apparent to me, not you" MacRae said. "So do you?" he asked.

"She's my partner and friend. You think it'll be a little awkward?" Chris asked, closing the laptop as the Brit came and sat down next to him "Besides, I have my sights set on someone else" he said and the Brit let a mischievous grin spread over his face.

"Do tell" he tried to coax, but a smirk appeared on Chris' face.

"I told you. It's for me to know and for you to find out on your own time"

"You graduate from Killjoy University, Chris?" the Brit deadpanned.

"No, just thought I'd give you two something to do in your spare time, and before you ask, yes Jill does know and no she's not telling" Chris said and the Brit cursed. "Your interrogative skills need a little bit of tweaking, Mac" he said with a chuckle.

"I'll find out" the other simply replied.

"Well good luck. But it's to be in your spare time. We have a mission" Chris said.

"We'll find her Chris. Alive and well and waiting for her survival buddies to join her" he said with an encouraging smile. Chris offered up a small smile in return, eyes filled with determination. Jill was his best friend, he'd be damned if he was going to let her die.

"I know we will" he said.

"Can't you at least give me a hint?" MacRae asked and Chris gave a small chuckle.

"Fine, you know this person very well" he said and the expectant look in the Brit's face made him want to laugh, but then he remembered his sleeping partner opposite. "What?" he asked innocently and then MacRae gave him a blank look.

"Pretty crap hint. I know my sister well, is it her?" he asked then he punched him when he looked at him as if to say 'might be' and the other laughed. "I'm serious. Come on, tell me their personality" he said, sounding like a teenage girl.

"Okay. This person, despite all the crap he's gone through in life, has always managed to keep a smile on his face" he started and then MacRae made a 'hold on' gesture.

"He? You're gay?" he asked and Chris smiled.

"Guilty. Just the butch type" he said and the Brit chuckled. "Can I carry on?" he asked.

"Of course" was the simple reply.

"War hasn't changed him. I've never met someone so kind in all my life until I met this person and his smile can calm anyone down. He's been through much of the same shit as me and Jill have in his life and his losses have never changed his outlook on life. I always feel safe knowing that this person would watch my back an I rely on him a lot. His eyes glow like emeralds in the night and I can't help but get lost in them" he said and the Brit resisted the urge to tear up.

"Chris, carry on. I could write a whole novel on this and get an award" he said and Chris ruffled his hair.

"Maybe some other time. What about you?" he asked.

"Me? Well I'm gay" he admitted and Chris eyes shot open, and he could've sworn they lit up with hope as well, but he let it slide.

"I never got that from you" Chris said.

"I didn't know how anyone would react" he said with a small shrug. "Where do I begin?" he asked.

"The start is generally a good idea" Chris said with a shit eating grin.

"Piss off, toss pot" he said, shoving him a little. "He's strong, stronger than I could ever hope to be that is for sure. He's gone through a lot of crap and yet he maintains a strong sense of loyalty when it comes to protecting the world, even if it is going to shit. Whenever I've been upset, he'd just wrap his arms around me and all my fears, my problems, just seem to melt away. He's not just the one I like, he's like my best friend as well, the type of thing you'd want in a relationship" he said and Chris merely looked at him.

"We get any deeper with this conversation, we'll be in the center of the Earth" he said and the other gave a small chuckle.

"We're not stereotypical men are we?" he asked and the other shook his head.

"Nope, but then we wouldn't be us if we weren't" Chris agreed.

"Agent Redfield, Agent MacRae, I think we've found it" the pilot in the front said and they opened the door to look down at it. MacRae shook Jessica then.

"What is it?" she asked.

"I think we've found the Zenobia" he said.

The ship was large, modern and most importantly, dead. No power could be seen on the ship, no signs of life whatsoever, and they all looked at one another with a certain amount of dread in their eyes. The larger agent spotted a helipad and told the pilot to land on it.

"We've got a hovercraft in the area around the ship. Let us know when you're ready to go" the pilot said and the others nodded.

"Forkball this is Silverfox" MacRae said into his headset.

"O'Brian here, everything okay MacRae?" the Director asked.

"We've boarded the Queen Zenobia. We'll start searching for Jill and Parker immediately" he reported.

"Excellent. Be careful on there MacRae. These ships were rumored to be under the control of Veltro for use during the Terragrigia Panic. Who knows what's on there" he said and MacRae smiled.

"Roger that, sir. Proceeding with caution" he said before the comm link cut.

"The next time I board one of these, it's for two weeks of fun in the sun" Jessica said as they started.

The entered the side deck, the darkness of the ship forcing the use of torches mounted on their guns and soon they heard some sort of groaning. MacRae shook his head and Chris forged on, aiming his pistol down the hallway.

"Zombies? Really? Talk about unoriginal" MacRae said, following on.

"I'm not so sure about that" Jessica said.

"What do you mean?" the Brit asked.

"Remember, these ships were supposedly used to launch the attack a year ago. The virus that was used wasn't the T-Virus, it was something else. Of course we couldn't get a sample of it so we could never find out what it was" Jessica explained.

"That's why O'Brian was opposed to frying the city" MacRae guessed.

"Yeah. It was the only link we had to the terrorists" Chris piped up from the front.

As they got to one of the rooms, they found it containing several antique jars and the smell of copper was strong in the air. They soon found a large puddle of blood and MacRae pulled out the Genesis and scanned it for a moment.

"I'm not picking up any biohazardous material. What ever did this was ferocious" the Brit said.

"In that case, we'd best be careful" Chris said, keeping his weapon poised.

The groaning could be heard again, this time in the opposite direction and MacRae stopped the others in their tracks, earning confused glances. He turned when he heard it again then back to them and with a sigh, he made his decision.

"I think we should split up" he said and Chris protested instantly.

"We need to stick together, we don't know what we're dealing with!" he said and Jessica nodded.

"Better we split up and cover more ground. We can use the room with the pottery as a meeting point and I'll keep my radio on if anything happens" he said and Chris seemed to be debating with himself. "I can look after myself Chris. I didn't join the BSAA to fight the slow fight" he said and then he nodded.

"Fine, but you check in with us every hour" he said.

"Agreed. I'll let you know if I find anything" the Brit said and he turned.

As he walked, he remained unaware of Chris' worried eyes on his back and before he knew it, the Brit had disappeared around the corner. Jessica was worried as well but she turned her partner around and urged him to carry on.

(With MacRae)

He kept on finding more and more blood, finding that it contained no biohazardous material and it left him to wonder as to what happened to the bodies. He heard the groaning around the corner and with his gun raised he went around.

"What the hell?" he asked.

The creature was pale, slimy and had sharp teeth. It was in human form and it was heading right at him, shuffling a little, just as a zombie would. He raised his pistol and fired at the creature, hitting it in the head and forcing it back. He fired yet another two shots and it crumpled with a groan, it's body dissolving and leaving behind blood and other bodily parts.

"MacRae, is everything okay?" Chris asked.

"I'm fine. I've encountered a hostile" he reported back.

"What was it?" Chris asked

"I haven't a bloody clue. It's not a zombie that's for sure" he said.

"What does the Genesis show?" Jessica asked and he scanned the remains for a few minutes and waited or the results to come back. The device beeped and he looked down, brow furrowing in confusion. "Is everything okay?" she asked.

"The virus is the exact same one that we saw near Valkoinen Mokki Airport" he explained.

"What did the creature look like?" Chris asked.

"It's human form. It had sharp, long teeth, was deathly pale and it's arms had deformed. I have never seen a mutation like this in my life. It shuffled like a zombie, but it wasn't like one" he said, looking back at the remains.

"So this is the virus' effects on humans" Jessica said.

"Looks like it. They're easy to take down, just shoot it in the head and follow up with two more" he said and the others gave an acknowledgment. "How goes it on your end?" he asked, starting to walk again.

"Nothing. No bodies, no ammo, no signs of either two of them been on here" Chris reported.

"We need to expand our search then. I'll head for the main hall of the ship" he said.

"Okay and we'll check the bridge. The first thing they'll want to do is try and get in contact with HQ. I've no doubt they've discovered these things already" Chris said and the contact cut.

It took some time but he soon managed to find the main hall of the ship and he marveled at the grand architecture of the room. He headed downstairs, and found it deserted of life, both human and B.O.W and his brow furrowed in concern. He heard more groans all of a sudden spring up and two of those creatures rose, one of them close. It clubbed him on the side with it's arm, causing him to grunt and back up, firing on the way.

"You cheeky bastards" he exclaimed. One of them fell, whilst the other continued towards him. He then noticed that the creature had chosen to forsake him and head to the remains of it's brethren. It got down it's knees and using a strange tongue like organism, began to mop up the blood. "Oh wow. That's just disgusting" he said, firing three shots and killing it. "Jessica, Chris, come in" he said.

"Chris here" was the simple reply.

"I've made it to the main hall. No signs of them but I do have an update on the creatures" he said.

"What is it?" Jessica asked.

"I just encountered two more of them, however once I put one down, the other one lost interest in me, choosing to go to the fallen one. Now the lovely fact is that it began feeding on the left over blood and other bodily fluids" he said and he could hear Jessica gag on the other side. "I'm not done. The one who fed, looked drier than the other" he said.

"So it replenishes it's fluids?" Chris asked.

"From the looks of it, yeah" the Brit said.

"What could it need the fluids for?" Jessica asked and the Brit struggled to come up with an answer.

"That's like saying why do zombies need flesh. I just hope I don't have to stick around here to find out what it is they need it for. Have you checked the bridge?" MacRae asked, looking around.

"No evidence they've been there" he said.

"And I've heard no gunshots either. Are we sure they're on this ship?" he asked.

"They have to be. If what you say is true then we should find dried out bodies but so far we've found absolutely nothing" Chris said and the Brit sighed. "Come and meet us at the bridge. I'd rather not have you out there on your own, Mac" Chris said warmly and he couldn't help but smile.

"Sure Chris. I'll see you guys in a minute" he said, cutting the comm link.

As he turned around to head back, one of the creatures swiped at him on the floor, having gone ignored by the Brit and his side was cut open. Thankfully this one was dryer than the last and thus his claws weren't carrying the virus. He put it down with a single shot, meaning that it was weak as it lost the fluids and he tapped his headset.

"Chris. I've been wounded" he said, pained a little.

"What?!" Chris exclaimed.

"My side has been cut, close to my ribs. It's not deep and the creatures claws were dry so I'm not even infected" he said, holding his side and jogging, ignoring the pain.

"How bad are you bleeding?" Chris asked.

"Enough to require to meet me half way" he said once he had reached the elevator.

"Stay where you are. Close the doors preferably" he said and the Brit sagged to the ground.

"I'm in the elevator for the main hall. The room is sealed tight so I'll be safe" he said, clutching at the wound as he quickly shut the doors. He left it active so Chris and Jessica could get to him. "Hurry up though, the creatures have strength and these doors won't hold forever"

(Later)

The door was banged three times and the Brit was pretty sure he felt scared. The creatures had found him and it was only a matter of time before the doors would no longer protect him. He could see the massive dents in the doors already. Suddenly he heard gunfire and he relaxed a little.

"MacRae?!" Chris called.

"Still in here" he said. "I had to seal the doors in case they hit the button" he explained.

"We'll sort you out now" Jessica said.

The two of them grabbed hold of one door and with great effort on their part, they managed to pry it open to see the Brit sat in the corner. His relieved smile made Chris' heart clench as he realized that MacRae was beginning to lose hope at that point.

"Jesus!" Chris said, getting in the elevator.

"I'll cover" Jessica said.

"I trust you still have medical supplies?" he asked and the Brit smiled, pointing to the pouch on his hip and the Brit dug in.

"What kind if medic doesn't carry medical supplies?" he asked with a grin.

"How are we looking Jessica?" Chris asked.

"All clear" she reported.

"Right, let's get this stuff off of you" he said, and he helped the Brit out of his tactical vest and then he helped with the shirt. His entire torso was marked in some way or another. He had a bruise on one side and a cut on the other as well as the scar running down his arm, his injury from the wolf starting to scar over already.

"What happened?" he asked, referring to the bruise.

"Took a whack in the side from one of them" he explained.

Chris examined the cut first, noting that whilst it was long, it was also very thin, so it wouldn't need to be stitched up. He took some of the antiseptic spray and began to spray him, causing the Brit to hiss as the liquid worked it's magic. Finishing with that, he began to clean the area around the wound with a cotton swab, dabbing gently.

"How is it?" he asked, feeling a little better.

"It won't need stitches, but it's going to scar. B.O.W's, whilst not always contagious always find a way to make scars permanent" Chris said and the other gave a nod.

MacRae looked up at the ships basic map and he squinted at the name before his eyes widening.

"We have a problem" he stated.

"What is it?" Chris asked, helping him to stand and re-secure his vest when he had dressed and when Chris gave him a questioning gaze. "Look here" he said. They both looked at the plaque and Chris turned away.

"This had better be a joke" he said and Jessica turned to him with a questioning gaze of her own.

"We're on board the Queen Semiramis" he explained.

"What do you mean? There's two ships out here?" Jessica asked and he nodded.

"As we already know, the Zenobia has two sisters. The Dido, which sank just outside of Terragrigia during the viral outbreak and now we've just discovered the second queen. The Semiramis" he said and Chris came back in.

"Now what?" he asked.

"O'Brian come in" Jessica said, tapping her headset.

"Go ahead" the simple reply.

"We're on the wrong ship. We found the Zenobia's carbon copy sister, the Semiramis. Requesting a mission update" Jessica said.

"Search the ship for any leads on the Zenobia. There has to be a reason that the two ships are out there"

"What about Jill and Parker?" Chris asked.

"They're experienced agents, Chris. They won't let anything kill them" he reassured.

"He's right. If we can find a sort of manifest somewhere, then we might be able to find the Zenobia and then Jill and Parker. I say we keep looking and see what we can find. Give it a few hours and if there's no lead, then we continue the search for the Zenobia" MacRae said, a hand on his shoulder.

"Okay" Chris said.

"Excellent plan, Mac. Be careful you three" he advised.

"Will you be alright to carry on?" Chris asked, gesturing to the bandages that were visible through the rip in his vest and shirt.

"I'll be fine Chris. I've gone through worse" he reassured.

The headed back up to the bridge, finding that the trip back up was relatively easier considering that the B.O.W's were killed in Chris' near rampage to get to MacRae when he was injured. The headed in and began to search for documents that may be contained on paper, the Brit preferring to search for digital copies of them.

"Anything?" he asked from his computer.

"Nothing on paper" Jessica said.

"There's no manifest anywhere" Chris said and the Brit's brows raised.

"Well this is interesting" he said.

"What is it?" the other two asked in unison.

"An encrypted file. Likely contains information on the creatures on board the ship, maybe even some facts about the Terragrigia Panic" he said, tapping away. "I should be able to hack into it, given enough time" the Brit said.

"I didn't know you knew computers" Chris said.

"There's a lot you don't know about me Chris" he said with a small grin.

Despite the fact that the system he was using was mostly tied into controlling the ship, he found that he was able to break the encryptions on the file. He then began to search for individual files, starting with the most obvious one, the location of the Queen Zenobia.

"Anything?" Jessica asked, looking over his shoulder.

"The Zenobia is located a few miles from the Semiramis" he said, taking down the coordinates.

"What about the creatures?" Chris asked.

"The ones we've encountered thus far are the results of infection from the T-Abyss virus. Supposedly, bodily fluids are used up quickly during the initial spread of the virus and like zombies have an instinct to feed on flesh, they have an instinct to take up more fluid" he explained to them and Jessica gagged again.

"Oh man, that's just gross" she said and he nodded.

"It's not the most charming thing I've ever read" he said with a nod of agreement.

"And the creatures we encountered near the airport?" he asked.

"Were also the result of infection from T-Abyss. Like the T-Virus, the overall effect it has on different creatures is different depending on the species and apparently on gender as well because we've only encountered male creatures" he explained.

"So this was used on Terragrigia? Where'd they get it from?" Chris asked.

"I'm not sure" MacRae said, searching for that.

"So what was the original state of this virus?" Jessica asked.

"It was known only as the Abyss and was discovered by an unmanned submersible. Supposedly the mutations it caused on fish allowed them to survive in deeper parts of the ocean compared to regular, uninfected fish" he read.

"Making it a good candidate for a B.O.W" Chris said.

"Pretty much. It was been studied in a lab somewhere on this ship" he said, but an alarm made them jump.

"Attention all personnel. The self-destruct system has been activated and can not be aborted. Please evacuate immediately" an automated voice said over the intercom.

"Well isn't that dandy?" Chris asked sarcastically.

"Give me one minute" he said, quickly saving the data on the virus to a portable hard drive. "Silverfox to HQ. We've got the location of the Zenobia but the self-destruct has been activated. Send that boat over to us" MacRae said.

"Hurry up you three" O'Brian said, concerned.

"Right, let's run" Chris said.

He ignored the pains in his side as he ran to the side of the ship, the countdown having stated they had at least five minutes before the ship erupted in flames. They made it then to the deck where there hovercraft was waiting for them and they fired their magnetic grapples before sliding down them and disconnecting from them.

"Get us out of here!" he yelled as the first explosion went off on the top of the ship.

They sped away as more erupted and soon the entire top of the ship was burning, pillars of smoke rising into the night sky. The hovercraft sped away as the ship began to slowly slide beneath the waves of the ocean and they all breathed a sigh of relief. Little did they know that more still was in store for them during their search for Jill and Parker, however, they had some data, so their visit to the Semiramis wasn't a total waste of time.


End file.
